1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to product information panels, and, more particularly, to printed information located on an inside portion of bottle capsules.
2. Description of Related Art
There are many occasions when a manufacturer of a bottled product wants to convey information to its customers. The manufacturer may want the information to be conveyed in a way which is convenient for the customer to carry, yet does not detract from the aesthetic appearance of the product. For example, when a customer in a restaurant enjoys a bottle of wine, he may wish to remember the wine for future reference. Most customers would not want to carry the empty bottle back home, and it is inconvenient to have to write down such information as the name of the wine, the winery, the vintage, etc. Quite often, the customer forgets the relevant information. Additionally, a manufacturer may wish to identify a wholesaler who carries the wine to a retailer or restauranteur. Wholesalers may also identify the source producer, importer, or marketing agent of a particular wine. A method or device is needed which can conveniently convey the product information to the customer.
Although there are no known prior art teachings of a solution to the aforementioned deficiency and shortcoming such as that disclosed herein, prior art references that discusses subject matter that bears some relation to matters discussed herein are U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,797 to Bullock, III (Bullock), U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,045 to Comann, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,456 to Instance.
Bullock discloses a plastic cover which fits over the top and partially down the sides of a corked wine bottle to prevent removal of the cork without providing an indication of tampering. The cover has a cap bead and a skirt. A tear strip is formed circumferentially around the cap bead. By tearing off the tear strip, the cap bead can be removed. However, Bullock does not teach or suggest a method or structure of providing printed information panels on a bottle. Bullock merely discloses a protective covering for a wine bottle.
Comann discloses a removable label for a wine bottle which allows a consumer to easily remember the source, name and year of the wine. The label is attached to the wine bottle with reusable glue, Velcro, or other means. The removable label may also be a portion of the regular label. But Comann has several inherent disadvantages. First, the information label is located on the main body of the wine bottle. If the bottle is placed in a bucket of ice and water, as in a restaurant, the label becomes soggy and possibly unusable. Additionally, since wine bottles are often exposed to damp conditions in cellars, or wet conditions due to condensation or being placed in wine buckets, many wine producers attach wine bottle labels using a very strong glue. This makes it difficult or impossible for a consumer to remove the label from the bottle. Finally, since the removable label is attached to the main label of the wine bottle, it detracts from the aesthetic appearance of the bottle.
Instance discloses a self-adhesive label in the form of a tag for attachment to the neck of a bottle. The backing is stuck to the bottle, and tear-off labels with product information are attached to the backing. Although Instance shows the basic concept of a removable label for a wine bottle, Instance has several disadvantages. Since the label is attached to the wine bottle with glue in the same area as the regular label, if the bottle is place in a bucket of ice, the label may become soggy and unusable. Additionally, the label detracts from the aesthetic appearance of the bottle.
An information panel is needed that provides product information to a consumer of a specific container which is easily removable, does not detract from the aesthetic appearance of the container, and can withstand being placed in a bucket of ice or water. It is an object of the present invention to provide such a device.